1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an electrical system, method, and apparatus for a truck or like vehicle for the splitting and transmitting of power and/or data to multiple systems and/or subsystems.
In a vehicle such as a truck, a single power source, such as a battery, drives a plurality of circuits through a plurality of fuses. These fuses are mounted in a container whose name will vary depending on the region of the country; some common names for the fuse container are fuse box, fuse block, and circuit breaker box. In a truck these plurality of circuits are used to power both the tractor and trailer(s). The trailer needs power for marker lights, brake lights, and various other systems. Each one of these branch lines, or circuits, on a trailer is identified by a unique color. The standard configuration is as follows:
WhiteGround return for all circuits on the towed vehicleBlackPower for the clearance, side marker & license plate lampsYellowPower for the left hand turn signal & hazard signal lampsRedPower for the stopping lamps and anti-lock devicesGreenPower for the right hand turn signal & hazard signal lampsBrownPower for the tail, clearance, side marker, and identification lampsBluePower for auxiliary
One colored line and the white line (or ground return) line make up one circuit, so these seven lines make up six circuits. These six power lines and one ground line originating from the tractor are connected to the trailer through an industry standard SAE J560 (seven pin) connector reference Surface Vehicle Standard SAE J560 Specification, Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., June 1993. The primary purpose of these lines is to deliver power. However, in the past few years they have also been used to transmit data. An example of this is the anti-lock braking system (ABS).
For purposes of this disclosure, any device or system that transmits and/or receives data over the power lines, singularly or in combination, are herein referred to as Power System Communication Device(s) (PSCD). Furthermore, PSCD may be factory installed or retrofitted into the system in an after market installation. Some examples of PSCD's include, but are not limited too, collision avoidance data, anti-lock braking data, temperature sensors, and tire pressure sensors.
In professional trucking applications, power system communication is desirable because the existing wire harness may be used and dedicated cables do not have to be routed throughout the vehicle. This is of particular concern if communication is required between systems on the trailer and systems in the tractor. In practice, most tractors are hitched to many different trailers. The standard SAE J560 (seven pin) connector serves to standardize the power connection and thus allows any tractor to be paired with any trailer.
Currently there is no provision for a standard data connection between the tractor and the trailer. It is not desirable to run “rogue” data connections between the tractor and the trailer because tractors and trailers would no longer be universally compatible. Because no standard exists, data connectors might be routed in different physical locations, have different connector types, or even different pin assignments. To maintain the universal compatibility between tractors and trailers it is highly desirable to use the existing power system for communication.
Power system communication is also desirable in other articulated vehicle applications (including but not limited too, boat trailers, campers, or car trailers, and other like towing applications) when communication is desired between a lead vehicle and a vehicle in tow. Although universal compatibility is not paramount in these other applications, it is still desirable to eliminate additional wires and connections if at all possible. By using the power bus for communication, the elimination of extra wires is achieved.
This invention allows the selection of any PSCD even when identical PSCD's are installed on multiple trailers. It allows for the use of multiple communication protocols among the different PSCDs sharing the same power lines. Furthermore, it allows a data signal to be routed from one branch circuit to another. This is accomplished while still adhering to the SAE J560 standard. This invention also adheres to Safety Standard 121 that requires an anti-lock brake communication signal between the tractor and trailer.
2. Related Prior Art
The following prior art is incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No.Inventor3,842,397Sindle3,944,981Akita et al3,975,708Lusk et al4,015,232Sindle4,278,962Lin4,349,823Tagami et al4,626,849Sims4,714,912Roberts et al4,801,938Holmes5,528,217Adams5,734,357Matsumoto et al6,127,939Lesesky et al6,545,593DeWilde
Also incorporated by reference is Surface Vehicle Standard SAE J560 Specification, Society of Automotive Engineers Inc., June 1993.